he book was the production of
another young woman, perhaps of somewhat 'sympathetic' temperament?"

Taken as a whole, probably most fiction and all highly emotional work
of any sort should be indulged in sparingly by those in the
danger-zone of life, or by any under special mental or moral stress.
History, philosophy (with sustained chains of reasoning) and
biographies (best, autobiographies) of active and strenuous lives,
should be resorted to by those temporarily doomed to spells of
suspense and involuntary inaction. Invalids should be encouraged to
read Plutarch's _Lives_ rather than the _Memorials_ of other
sufferers, however saintly!

It may be broadly stated that, during the tragic episodes which seem
to occur in all lives, the most wholesome reading is to be found in
the books of the great World-Religions--the Bible, and the teachings
of Buddha, Confucius and Mahomet. The Bible is of course a library in
itself, and many of its books are suited to very widely different
circumstances and temperaments. The Psalms, the Gospels, the Epistle
of St James, and parts of those great poems known as the "prophetical
books" and the more personal and less doctrinal portions of Paul's
epistles are perhaps of widest application. From the words of Buddha,
Confucius and Mahomet there are many admirable selections--and one
remembers a wonderful compilation of more than thirty years ago,
called _The Sacred Anthology_, and wonders if it be out of print. It
does not follow that these works should not be studied at other times
than "tragic episodes." If this were more often the case, perhaps
there would be fewer "tragic episodes"!

Next to these come such wonderful books of spiritual experience as A
Kempis's _Imitation of Christ_, the _Pilgrim's Progress_, the _Devout
Life_ of Francis of Sales and others which will occur to the memory.

Allusion to the _Pilgrim's Progress_ brings us to the remark that no
books are more truly wholesome than some that can be enjoyed by those
of all ages, and of very varied types of "culture": in which the
children can delight, and which refresh the aged and weary. Like
Nature herself, they have hedgerows where the little ones can gather
flowers, little witting of the farther horizons of earth and sky
lifted up for the eyes of the elders. Let the children read the
_Pilgrim's Progress_ simply as "a story," its eternal verities will
sink into their souls to reappear when they too are in _Vanity Fair_
o